Apparatus and method for filling containers with products



March 16, 1954 w. M K. MARTIN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH PRODUCTS Filed April 20, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 w. McK, MARTlN 2,672,270

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH PRODUCTS Filed April 20, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l i 11m;

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INVENTOR. Q Q WILL/AM 1110K. MART/N ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 W. M K. MARTIN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING Filed April 20, 1951 CONTAINERS WITH PRODUCTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. W/LL MM MCK. MART/N ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 w. M k. MARTIN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH PRODUCTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 20, 1951 lNVE/VTOR WILL/AM McK. MART/IV BY M%%;

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH PRODUCTS William McK. Martin, San Mateo, Calif., assignor to James Dole Engineering 00., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application April 20, 1951, Serial No. 222,058

14 Claims.

This invention relates to the filling of a prodnot in containers, and more particularly to the continuous filling of a product in containers of the type having flanges at their open mouths (so-called cans), and which are conveyed past a filler with a substantially uninterrupted motion and with their flanges in overlapping relationship.

Such type of apparatus is disclosed in applicants copending application, Elerial No. 104,074, filed July 11, 1949. The apparatus and method of this invention, although particularly adapted for effecting filling of a sterile food product in the type of aseptic processing system disclosed in the aforementioned copending application, is

generally applicable for the continuous filling of products wherever desired. However, for purposes of illustration, they are described in conjunction with portions of the aseptic processing system mentioned.

In the conveying of containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths, past a filler which feeds a continuous stream of the product, it is necessary that the flanges of the containers be in overlapping relationship to avoid spillage. In this connection, a

continuous line of adjacent containers is moved at such speed with reference to the continuous stream of the product which fioWs from the filler, as to cause each container to be substantially completely filled with the product in its travel. In order that the containers be uniformly filled, it is desirable that the container flanges of each pair of adjacent containers in the line overlap always in the same relationship. In other words, if the flange of a container in a line of adjacent containers overlaps the flange of the container ahead of it with respect to the direction of travel toward the filler, the same direction of overlapping should obtain with respect to all of the containers in the line, and vice versa ii a flange of a container underlaps the flange of a container ahead of it.

Summarizing this invention, it relates primarily to the provision of means associated with supporting means for the' containers as they are conveyed to the filler, to eiiect separation of the flanges of the containers before they reach the filler by causing relative tilting of adjacent con tainers, and then overlap the flanges always in the same relationship. Such means has been preferred, the hump is formed by an upwardly inclined portion joined to a downwardly inclined portion. In an alternative arrangement, the hump is formed by an upwardly inclined portion which leads to a downward step over which the containers are moved and drop. Thus, it is seen that this invention has as its objects, among others, the provision of an improved and eco nomical apparatus and method for overlapping the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship for the purpose described. Other objects and further particulars of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description in which reference is made to the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional elevation of the filler conveying mechanism of this invention, in a filler section of an aseptic processing system of the type related. Portions of the structure are omitted from the view for the purpose of clarity; and certain parts are shown more or less schematically in phantom lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with certain parts omitted for the purpose of clarity.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken in a plane indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in a plane indicated by line ll in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a schematic elevational view illustrating the scrambled relationship of the container flanges before such flanges are unscrambled and arranged to overlap always in the same relationship.

Fig. 7 is a schematic elevational view illustrating how the preferred form of hump eiiects relative tilting between all adjacent containers to separate their flanges before they reach the flller and cause them to become rearranged always in the same relationship.

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating another form of hump for producing the same effect.

The filling apparatus is conveniently employed in an aseptic processing system as was previously mentioned. Such system comprises filler section or housing 2 having a, bottom provided with a sump portion 3 to gather any of the product which may spill or overflow from the containers as they are being filled. Filler 5 is mounted on top of housing 2 over sump 3. As is disclosed in said aforementioned application, a pre-sterilized product is continuously conducted to the filler at a constant volume per unit of time, through product inlet piping 6; a product control valve 1 being provided in association with the filler. A continuous line of containers 9 is conducted through housing 2, with the container flanges H] in overlapping relationship as they are being filled with the. product.

Housing 2 has a hinged cover H which, has an inclined portion provided with a sight glass I2 enabling observation of the inside of the filler section; and a thermometer l3 having heat sensitive portion [4 is mounted adjacent sight glass I2. Filfer 4 is of the general type disclosed in the aforementioned copending application hav ing an elongated relatively narrow slit, type dis.

charge opening at l6 adapted to span the mouths.

of the plurality of the containers conducted past the filler and which supplies a continuous stream of the product.

Filler section 2 is connected to a container sterilizer section I! by means including cap screws l8; from which containers sterilized in the. manner discosed in the aforementioned copending application areconducted into the filler section. After beingfilled, the containers are conducted: from the filler section into a closing machine (not shown) wherein sterile container covers are applied to the product filled sterile containers. For maintaining sterile conditions in the, entire system, steam superheated to a, desired sterilizing temperature, or any other heated gas, is, introduced into the system; it being understood,. as is expained in said copending application, that the entire apparatus is at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Mounted on filler housing 2 is a pulley or sheave 2| about which runs, an endless conveying, cable 22 which also turns about a similar sheave (not shown) on the container sterilizer section. Cable 2?. provides means for continuously feeding the containers into filler housing 2 with a substantially uninterrupted motion; the drive to sheave 2| being effected through reduction gearing 23 connected to a drive pinion, 24

which is continuously driven by motor 26 con,- nected to variable speed transmission 21 having control handle 28.

As can be seen more clearly from Figs. 1 and. 2, cable 22 conveys a line of adjacent conveyors onto a supporting plate 29 positioned in filler housing 2 and over which the. bottoms of the containers ride; supporting plate 29 being provided. with a slotted portion 3| to accommodate sheave 2|. A guide rail 32 is positioned at the inlet end of' the filler section above supporting plate 29 and at one side of the containers to engage the containers and thus serve as a side guide. This guide rail is positioned on a hinged cover 33 adjacent one end thereof; the cover overlying an endless worm conveyor 34 which serves to convey the line of adjacent containers through the filler section. The inner edge of cover 33 is provided with a. guide flange 33 extending from adjacent rail 32.

Conveyor 34 is. driven from drive gear 24 which is fixedly connected to a bevel pinion 36 meshing with a bevel pinion 36' in turn connected to gearing 31 which is connected by flexible. shaft coupiine' 38' to the worm; a hinged cover 38 being provided over the drive gearing. In this connection, the filler conveying wormris, preferably, of the type disclosed inthe previously mentioned copending application, comprising a worm cylinder 39 and a continuous. worm portion 4] secured to the worm cylinder, and the pitch or lead of which is of such angle that the containers being conducted thereby are adjacent each other with their flanges overlapping. Side guide 42, similar to guide 32, is provided to guide the line of containers at the side opposite worm 34.

The left or pick-up end of conveying worm 3.4 appearing in. Fis- 2 ove l ps a port on of nveying cable 22; and as the conveying of the containers is transferred from the cable to the worm, some of the containers may be moved out of line as they engage the pick-up end of the worm. To prevent possible denting of the containers at such location, guide 42 includes a pivotally mountedportion 43 which is yieldably held in, line by means of leaf spring 44 but which can, open; outwardly should any pressure be exerted against it by the containers. Should this occur; guide portion 43 will be thrust back in, line, as soon as the containers progress past the receiving end of the worm.

Conveyor cable 22 is operated to move. the line f: on ainersat a ligh l faster $pe8fi,.PIefe ably about 2% faster, than the, speed at which the containers are conveyed by filler conveying worm 34. This is for the purpose of pro venting slacl; or open spacing between adjacent containers. in the line of containers conducted by the conveying worm, as the faster speed of cable 22 insures that there will always be a group, of contacting containers waiting to be. picked up by the fil'er conveying worm. Should. th containers. pile up adjacent the piclgeup end of. the filler conveying Worm, this will make no dinerence because cable. 22 merely frictionally en; e s e bottoms t o tainers an can. therefore, slide past such bottoms when. the containers are supported on supporting plate z9 A worm type conveyor is preferred in the filler section because of the ease with which such type of container can be, cleaned when necessary. However; it is to be understood that any other type-of conveying means may be employed in its stead, such as conveying chains with lugs that are spaced apart the proper distance for con-. ducting the containers with their flanges in overlapping relationship. Also, an endless cable is preferred to convey the containers to the filler section because it provides a simple and GCOIXOIl'll-r ca1 conveying means having minimum frictional contact with the bottoms, of the containers, and therefore; slides readily under the containers should they pile up at the pick-up end of the worm, butanyother suitable conveying means such as a chain, maybe employed in its place.

As the containers approach filler 4, it is d e. sirablethat they b supported on an open bottom supporting means, therefor so that any product which may spill can flow into sump, 3. For this pu p s s portin p a 2 2 a ta h o sp ced bottom support rods 43 which engage the bottoms of the containers. Support rods 46, hence, provide a continuation of supporting plate 29.

When the containers ar supported on cable 22, before, they reach worm 34, flanges IQ at the open mouths of the containers are in more or less scrambled relationship, as is shown in Big, 6. This would result in the stream of product filling the adjacent containers not. exactly uniform. A slacl: fill may occur in some containers and an overfill in others. To obviate this, the supporting means 29, 46, for the containers as they are conducted through the filler section by worm 34, in cludes as part thereof a hump 48.

In the preferred construction, hump 48,; as is, indicated schematically in Fig. '1 and by the phantom line P in Fig. 1 designating the plane of the supporting means, comprises an upwardly inclined portion 5| which is joined to a downwardly inclined portion 52. The top of hump 58 is preierably at the location where support rods it join support plate 29 and is a slight distance above the horizontal. It is located ahead of filler l so as to effect relative tilting between adjacent containers and thus superate the scrambled overlapped fianges it of the containers before they reach the filler.

As is indicated in Fig. 7, riding of the containers over hump as results in relative tilting of all adjacent containers to separate the flanges, which separation occurs between each pair of adjacent containers as one of them approaches the top of the hump and the other one rides down the downwardly directed inclined portion 52 adjacent the top of the hump. When adjacent containers ride down incline 52 their flanges again become overlapped; such overlapping will always be in the same relationship or direction for all the containers. Thus, the containers will e all filled to substantially the same amount as they are conducted past the filler.

The location of the hump is imme :rial as long as it is ahead of the filler. A suit ole angle of inclination for the inclined portions 5! and 52 is about 2 /2 to 5 with the top of the hump about A; inch to inch above the longitudinal axis of conveyor worm 3d. The length or" each inclined portion 5! and 52 is preferably about 1 2; to 1 /2 times the diameter of the containers being handled by the apparatus. As an example, for the so-called 202 x 214 container size, namely, container having a diameter of 2 inches and a height of 2'7 inches, a 3 inch length of each of inclines 5i 52 with a l inch height of the hump, have been found to effect the desired overlapping of the flanges in the same relation.

For containers 3%.; inches in d .meter 41% inches in height, each of inclines 5i and is preferably about 5 inches long; and the height of the hump is preferably about inch. For the handling of containers 6% inches in diameter and 7 inches in each of inclines 5i and 52 is preferably about 8 inches in length with the height of hump about inch.

Instead" of the joined inclined and declined portions, any other form of hump be employed, as long as it will effect relative tilting between adjecent containers they move over the hump. For ex mple, t e hump may include a step 53 as in. -cated Fig. 8, and an upwardly inclined portion at leading to the step; the p 1"- tion of the supporting after the step being horizontally positioned on the longitudinal axis of conveyor worm 3 i As the containers are conducted up incline 5%, it will be seen from Fig. 8 that relative tilting is effected between each lei container and each right container of each pair of adjacent tainers, just before such left container drops down step Such relativ tilting effects separation of the scrambled container flanges; and as each left container drops, its will overlap the flange on the container ahead of it and which is positioned on horizontal portion 5-6 on the conveyor support, thus effecting the described With respect to; the handling of various size containers, it is to 1' replacement by;

overlapping of the flanges always in the same re lationship. The height, length and angle of incline 54 and the drop of step 53 may be the same for the various size containers as the correspondin= upwardly inclined portion 5! and the height of hump 43in the previously described modification.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths and in which a line of adjacent containers is conveyed past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, fixed means for supporting the containers as they are conveyed, and fixed means on said fixed supporting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges or adjacent containers always in the same relationship, said fixed means including an inclined portion to eflect relative tilting between adjacent containers.

2. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths and in which a line of adjacent containers is conveyed past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, fixed means for supporting the containers as they are conveyed, and a fixed hump associated with said supporting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship, said fixed hump including an inclined portion to effect relative tilting between adjacent containers.

3. Apparatus for filling a product in containers iacent containers is conveyed past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, fixed means for supporting the containers as they are conveyed, and a fixed hump associated with said supporting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same .relation ship, said hump including a fixed inclined portion forming part of said supporting means and leading to the top of said hump.

4. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at-their open mouths and in which a line of adjacent containers is conveyed past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, fixed means for supporting the containers as they are conveyed, and a fixed hump associated with said supporting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship..said hump being formed by a fixed upward-- lyinclined portion forming part of said support-- ing means and which is joined to a fixed downwardly inclined portion also forming part of said supporting means.

5. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at. theiropen mouths and in which a line of adjacent containers is conveyed past a filler with- 1 means and which leads to a step formed on said supporting means.

6. Apparatus for filling a product in containers. of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths comprising means for conveying a line of adjacent containers past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, means for supporting the containers as they are conveyed, means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same, relationship, and means for conveying the containers to said first mentioned conveying means at a faster speed than the speed at. which the containers are conveyed by said first mentioned conveying means.

7. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flangesv at their open mouths comprising meansforconveying a line of adjacent containers past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, means for supporting the containers as: they are conveyed, a hump forming part of said supporting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges. of adjacent containers always in the same relationship, and means for conveying the containers to said first mentioned conveying means at a faster speed than the speed at which the containers are conveyed by said first mentioned conveying means.

' 8. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type havin outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths comprising means for continuously conveying a line. of. adjacent containers past a filler with. a substantially uninterrupted motion and with their flanges in overlapping relationship, said filler being adapted to supply a continuous stream of the product. fixed means for supporting the containers as they are. con veyed, and a fixed hump forming part of said sup porting means to separate the flanges before they reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship, said fixed hump including an inclined porl tion to effect relative tilting between adjacent containers.

9. Apparatus for flllinga product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths comprising means for continuously conveying a line of adjacent containers past a filler with a substantially uninterrupted. motion and with their flanges in overlappin relationship, said filler being adaptedto supply a continuous, stream of the product, means for supporting the containers, as they are conveyed, a hump forming part of said supporting means to separate the flanges before theyv reach. the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship, and an endless cable conveyor for conveying the containers to said first mentioned conveying means at a faster speed than the speed atv which the containers are conveyed by said first mentioned conveying means.

10. The method of filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extendingflanges at their open mouths which comprises conveying a line of adjacent containers past a filler with their flanges in overlapping relationship, and while the containers are thus conveyed with their flanges overlapped and before they reach the filler separating their flanges and overlapping the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship by movement of said containers over a fixed hump having an inclined portion to effect relative tilting between adjacent containers.

11. The method of filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths which comprises providing a continuous stream of the product at a filler station, continuously conveying a line of adjacent containers past said stream with a substantially uninterrupted motion and with their flanges in overlapping relationship, and while the containers are thus conveyed with their flanges overlapped and before they reach the filler station efiecting relative tilting of adjacent containers to separate the flanges of adjacent containers and then overlap them always in the same relationship by movement of said containers over a fixed hump having an inclined portion to effect said relative tilting.

12. Apparatus for filling a product in containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths and in which a line of adjacent containers is conveyed with their flanges in overlapping relationship, fixed supporting means over which the bottoms of the containers are adapted to ride with their flanges thus overlapped, said supporting means including a fixed hump to separate the overlapped flanges before the containers reach the filler and overlap the flanges of adjacent containers always in the same relationship, said hump having a fixed inclined portion leading to the top of the hump.

13. In filling apparatus for containers of the type having outwardly extending flanges at their open mouths, means for continuously moving References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,260,636 Campbell et a1 Mar. 26, 1918 1,346,613 Taliaferro et a1. July 13, 1920 1,475,675 Ayars Nov. 27, 1923 1,919,155 Ayars July 18, 1933 

